Undying Love
by Sawyers Lost Girl
Summary: Van falls in love with the one person he thought he never would. Romance. Read?
1. Chapter 1

Ok, this is an edited version of my first chapter. I read it over again and I didn't like it so this is the new one.

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"Van are you there?" Fiona called.

"Yeah, I'm in the liger." Van waved down, his hair cascaded over his face.

"What are you doing up there?"

Van smiled down at her and replied, "Umm...I'm going to the bathroom. What do you think I'm doing?"

Her eyes widened and she made the shape of an _o_ with her mouth. "Wow, that was hilarious."He smiled and wiped the hair that had fallen, out of his face.

"Well, I brought you something to drink and eat, I thought you might be hungry." She handed him the plate and cup.

"Whew, thanks a lot I'm starved." Van thankfully took the plate, "You know…you didn't have to do that."

"You're welcome," She stopped and then said, "And I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to."

**Later**

Fiona had retreated to her room to think and just lay around; she was extra tired. Earlier she had been talking to Moonbay, sharing her thoughts and feelings, as always.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Irvine asked, walking in and startling Fiona from her thoughts.

"Umm…nothing, I'm just resting." She answered quickly.

"Okay, well, have you seen Moonbay around anywhere?"

"She was in here a few minutes ago, but she left saying she had something to do." Fiona answered, "I don't know what. She probably went looking for you."

Irvine sighed heavily, "Okay, well, tell her to come find me when she gets back." He mumbled under his breath; almost inaudibly, "_If_ she comes back…

She smiled as she pictured how cute they were together.

Fiona decided she should go to bed, even though it was only early evening.

**Next Morning**

Van walked in to the kitchen, still in his pajamas. He had, had a restless nights sleep.

"Fiona what's wrong?" Van asked when he noticed Fiona's pale figure by the table, "You look sick."

"I don't feel too good."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know…I'm just not feeling right." She leaned back against the table for support and then decided it would be better to sit down.

"I think you should lie down you need more rest." Van scooped Fiona off the seat and carried her to her room.

"Thank you." She said, gratefully lying down.

"No problem." Van turned to leave.

"Van?"

"Yeah?" He stopped and looked at her.

"Will you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything." He kneeled down before her bed.

"Can you stay in here until I fall asleep?"

"If that's what you want."

Van waited until Fiona fell asleep to leave. She looked sick…frighteningly sick.

Minutes passed; finally she fell asleep.

He got up to leave, but stopped to look down at Fiona. She looked so beautiful when she slept. So peaceful. She hadn't a care in the world.

Fiona had slept all day; she hadn't moved from her position. Something had to be wrong.

Van asked Moonbay what to do. She would know. She always did.

"Moonbay, you think I should bring Fiona to the hospital? It doesn't seem like she's gonna get better anytime soon."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

"I'll go check up on her."

**Fiona's room**

Van looked down at Fiona. She was so pale and fragile looking. He had to get her to the hospital and soon. It wasn't right. Someone doesn't just sleep in all day for nothing.

Fiona woke with a start and groaned.

"Are you okay?" Van was by her side in an instant.

"Nooo." It took Fiona effort to speak and Van knew it.

"Don't speak, Fiona I'll get you to the hospital right away." Van said picking her up, "Hang in there."

He took her to his Liger. They were going to the hospital.

**In the Blade Liger**

Van carefully wrapped a blanket around Fiona and laid her in the back seat. He looked back to see if she was sleeping. She was. He could never mistake the beauty of her; he never had. She was perfect. And he was worried.

_Why did something like this have to happen to Fiona, of all people?_

**Hospital Time**

Van got to the hospital and ran in with Fiona in his arms. They checked into a room and a doctor by the name of Dr. Friedman came to help.

"What's wrong with her?"

"I don't know! You're the doctor, you tell me!" He wanted to yell in the doctors face, but held himself back.

"Tell me what happened; What kind of symptoms?"

Van was at a loss for words. He didn't really know. He hadn't paid attention to symptoms, and Fiona hadn't said anything. "All I know is that she was really tired…"

"Okay." He scratched his pen across the pad, writing something only he could read. "We'll figure it out."

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Thanks for reading. Hope you like this! RR! 


	2. Chapter 2

Hey people sorry I haven't updated for a while! I've been really busy. Hope you like this. R+R!

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**Hospital **

Van wanted to throw a chair at the man's head. "You have to find out now!"

"I don't know what could be wrong with her." The doctor answered.

"Neither do I, that's why I came to see you!" Van yelled angrily, slamming his hand on the table.

"Calm down, I don't always know everything right away, it takes time."

"Sorry." Van mumbled into his hand.

Fiona woke up once groaning and asking for water, while Van was in the room with her.

"Sir I'm going have to ask you to leave the room please," A nurse that was working Fiona's case came into the room.

"Why? I just want to be with her." Van protested.

"Because we have to go through some procedures and we can't have people getting in our way." She said it in a cold sort of tone, almost like she hated the world and all who were in it.

"Fine, but can I come back in when you're done?"

"That will probably be fine."

**Fiona**

Fiona had been in and out of consciousness for days and she felt like her eyelids were lead weights. She would have the same dream over and over and she had no way of escaping it. She felt sick to her stomach, constantly. The only thing that comforted her was that Van was with her. She wanted to tell him to go home and get some sleep, but she couldn't because her voice refused to work.

**Van**

The only thing Van thought about was Fiona. He was beginning to wonder if she would ever get better. He was with her every minute of the day and never left her side. He knew that if she found out he was with her she'd be happy. He was finally realizing how much he really liked her. He realized that she was a great friend and he hoped that she would do what he was doing for her, if need be.

**Flashback**

Raven had just entered Imperial Forces base and Van was heading out to fight him with Irvine and Thomas.

"Van please be careful." Fiona begged.

"I promise, I will." He reassured her with a hug.

"But what if you get hit with the Particle Beam?" She demanded, pulling away to see his strength; his reassurance to her.

"Fiona I promise you I wont I have the other guys with me too. And I'll think of you the whole time to give me hope."

She smiled, her eyes hinting at fear. "Well in that case I'll be praying for you, now get out there and fight."

"I'm out!"

**End of Flashback**

Van had beaten Raven that day. He thought, because of her worrying. He kept her in mind throughout the fight. _All because of...Fiona._ Ever since Fiona got sick he had fallen in love with her or at least figured out that he had always loved her.

**Fiona's Dream **

"Van? Van! Where are you?"

"I'm here Fiona."

Suddenly Van emerged from the darkness that surrounded her. He came to her and lifted her chin.

He whispered lightly in her ear, "Fiona I need you. You have to come back to me."

"But, Van, I can't-"

"Yes, you can Fiona. Not only do _I_ need you but _we_ need you."

"Who is _we_?"

"Irvine, Moonbay, Thomas, and I." Van squeezed her hand encouragingly.

"I know but I can't even open my eyes…I'm so tired."

"You have to try Fiona, you're all that I have left."

Van was enveloped in the silence and blackness hovering above her.

"Wait!" Fiona yelled, trying to grasp what was now lost, "Don't leave me."

"I have to Fiona. I'm waiting for you." Van said. "I love you, but I have to leave."

"I love you-"

**End Dream**

Fiona woke up in a cold sweat, trying to figure out if what Van had said in her dream was actually the way it was in real life. Fiona really did love Van. She had loved Van ever since she had met him.

She struggled to open her eyes and finally succeeded.

"Fiona!" Van grabbed her hand off the bed." You're awake!"

"Yes?"

"Do you feel better?" He was anxious to hear.

"A little," Fiona replied sleepily," But I'm still a little tired."

"You've been in and out of consciousness all week long." He kissed her forehead.

"Well, I guess I have a lot to catch up on."

"I guess so."

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Okay that's all I have now. RR! 


	3. Chapter 3

So sorry I haven't updated this story for so long but I've been really busy. Hope you like it, RR!

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"You've been visiting my dreams, you know," Fiona whispered.

Van smiled, he felt so bad for her. "If it means anything, I never stopped thinking of you."

The doctor came into the room and said, "You're going to need to leave, please."

"Alright," Van sighed loudly, letting the doctor know he wasn't happy about leaving. "I'll be back.

"Okay."

"Miss Fiona. . ." was all Van heard the doctor say before he left the room.

_Why do they keep kicking me out? Why can't I stay?_

**In Fiona's room**

". . . I know you've been through a lot lately." The doctor continued.

Fiona nodded. She'd been through more than just a lot, she'd been through hell.

"Are you feeling any better?" He asked.

"A lot better than before." She said, nodding. She put her hand to her stomach. "I don't feel sick to my stomach anymore."

"Great, you'll be sent home in a few days," He wrote down a few small notes on his doctor pad, "You'll just have to make sure get a lot of rest." He hooked her up to another IV and checked her blood pressure while he talked.

"Do you happen to know what was wrong with me?"

He shook his head, "No, we still haven't figured that out." He looked at his charts. "We were just hoping for full recovery."

"Don't you usually try to figure that kind of thing out so you know what medication to give the patient?"

"Well, yes. This is just one of those cases where we have to give you certain medications for certain symptoms, even if we don't know what you have." He shrugged, "You were lucky to get over it as quickly as you did, with us not having a clue what it was."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, I have another patient to tend to. I'll send Van in for you."

"Okay."

"Oh, and if you need me just ask for Dr. Black." He called over his shoulder, as he walked out of the room.

**Van**

_What was taking so long? It doesn't take this long to check up on someone. They're probably in there talking and who knows what...  
_  
Just then a doctor walked into the waiting room.

"Van you can go back in there now." He said.

"Thanks."

**Fiona's Room**

"Anything new?" Van asked. He could see Fiona had started to dose off to sleep.

"Great, I should get out of the hospital in a couple of days." Fiona said, looking up half open eyes.

"That's awesome!" He punched his fist into the air, "Maybe we can do something afterwards, like go out to dinner and pig out or we can go to the beach so you can relax."

"That sounds like a good idea." Fiona was exhausted, she had been through tons and she was now beginning to fall asleep, but Van didn't want her to. So, he kept the conversation going.

The phone rang before he could start his sentence.

Van answered it; "Hello?"

"Hi!" The voice on the other end rang through the phone.

"Can I ask whose calling?" He asked in a business like manner.

"Who do you think?"

"Uhh…Irvine?" He guessed sarcastically.

Moonbay growled.

"I'm just playing." He started up again, "Oh wait, maybe I'm wrong. It could be Thomas, or maybe it's Zeke or-"

Moonbay cut Van off before he could finish his list of men, and Zoids, "Alright twerp, I didn't call to hear you. Is Fiona there?"

"Yeah, yeah." Van passed Fiona the phone. About 15 minutes later she was off the phone. Moonbay's call had definitely cheered Fiona up quite a bit. Fiona tried to get their conversation back on topic.

"I want to tell you, Van, that you've been a great friend, staying with me night and day like you did. It means a lot to me."

Van was too modest for that kind of talk. "Aw…it was nothing."

In the last few days Van had become aware of how much he really loved her even though she was unconscious.

**4 days later**

"I can't believe I'm being released today! Finally!" Fiona bounced in her seat excitedly.

Van signed the check out paper and handed it to the woman behind the desk. "Thanks. Neither can I. "

"I feel like I haven't been outside for weeks." She gazed out the window longingly.

"Well, that's because you haven't." Fiona hopped in to the back of the Liger.

Van hopped in after her. He started it up and prepared for the long way home.

It had taken them an hour and a half to get back. Fiona was asleep in the back when they reached base.

**Lunch**

"Welcome back, Fiona." Irvine said.

Moonbay went up to Fiona and gave her hug. Thomas knelt down on one knee, took her hand in his, and kissed it. He stood up blushing furiously, and quickly exited. Fiona hated when he did that but she always kept quiet.

Van had, had enough for the past 2 weeks and he was tired. He walked to his room slowly. He turned the corner, slammed in to something and everything went black.

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Ok well that's all I have for now. Again I am very sorry it took me so long to update. RR! 


	4. Chapter 4

Ok this is my chapter 4! Finally up...I hope you enjoy it. I'm going to dedicate this Chapter to my friend Cory...you'll see why...

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"Man he sure does pass out easily." An unknown voice broke the silence in Van's head. "I just walk around the corner, BAM and he's out like a light."

Van groaned and shook his head trying to clear his vision. He looked up to see a tall man leaning over him.

"Hey man let me help you there." He held out his hand and Van took it.

"Thanks." Van mumbled.

"My name is Cory. I guess you're Van." The man said cheerfully. "I'm new here, I was instructed to travel with you."

"Well I just got back from taking my friend to the hospital." Van replied. "So I didn't hear that you'd be coming." He cracked his neck by moving it slightly to the side.

"Oh really, what happened?" Cory asked concerned.

They found their way back to the cafeteria while Van explained what had happened with Fiona. As soon as Cory entered the cafeteria he stopped dead in his tracks. He saw before him the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in all his life.

"Uh...uh this must be Fiona." Cory stuttered.

"Yeah, this is Fiona." Van said. "Fiona meet Cory."

Fiona's eyes widened. She had never seen a man as... nice looking as before in her life. Except Van, but at the moment he didn't count. Cory had dark brown hair, and deep brown eyes.

"Umm...hi Cory." Fiona said.

They stood looking at each other for a minute not knowing what to do. Finally Van interrupted the trance. It seemed as though Fiona was in a sort of trance.

"Okay, well, now you've met. How about I take Cory and show him around the place." Van quickly offered.

"Yeah, Van, do that..." Moonbay grabbed Fiona by the arm and pulled her in her direction.

Moonbay didn't like how Fiona and Cory were looking at each other. She knew something was different about Cory, but she couldn't place it. She didn't want to take a chance, though.

"Come on Cory, let's go." Van urged.

"Alright, Alright." Cory said walking away but not forgetting to turn around and say bye to Fiona.

"Bye, Cory." Fiona waved dreamily and stared after him.

**Blade Liger**

"...And this how you fix it if something happens." Van was telling Cory how he fixed the Blade Liger in case of an emergency. "Now don't get any ideas, because I'm not gonna let you take this Blade Liger out for a ride, I'm only showing you some things."

"Yeah, I know." Cory patted the leg of the Liger. "This is a nice Zoid."

"It sure is." He rubbed it's other leg. "I love this guy."

Moonbay interrupted them from their work, "Hey, Van, I'm going to take the Gustav out and go into town. I need to get some groceries."

"Alright, see you in a little while." Van said.

**Fiona**

Fiona couldn't stop thinking about Cory. What was it about him that was so...Oh! What was she doing? She loved Van not Cory, or was it the other way around...

**Van**

What was happening with Fiona? How could her and Cory be so...close and in such a short amount of time? It wasn't fair! There was something about Cory that really bugged him...but he didn't know what.

**Cory**

"Fiona, Fiona, Fiona..." Cory said her name aloud over and over again.

Van decided he'd go check in on Fiona. He walked down the hall and stopped right before he got to the door. He heard someone else in the room with Fiona. He peeked around the corner. There were Fiona and Cory, sitting on her bed, chatting away time.

**Fiona's room**

Fiona had been sitting on her bed when Cory had come in. She was both surprised and happy. He had sat down next to her and they started talking, getting friendlier with each laugh. They had moved closer over the time Cory had been in the room.

"Fiona!" Moonbay's yell could be heard from the cafeteria. She needed Fiona.

Fiona hated to leave Cory all alone, but she didn't have much of a choice.

"Fiona, Fiona, what a beautiful name." Cory whispered to himself, "I think this is the start of a beautiful relationship."

Fiona appeared to be so happy when she was with Cory. It was a happy he'd never seen before.

Van decided he needed a coffee. He walked out of his room and went to the kitchen. Irvine had just made fresh coffee.

"What's your problem?" Irvine handed him a cup of coffee.

Oh...nothing at all, I just saw Fiona the happiest she's ever been." Van said angrily and sarcastically, "Why can't she be that way when she's with me?"

"Who knows? You know how girls can be." He grinned, showing no signs of sympathy.

"Yeah, I know, but why Fiona?" He took a sip of coffee.

Irvine shrugged and left without another word.

_Is there something about you, Cory, something you'd like to tell me?_

**Fiona**

_He's so mesmerizing…so perfect._

She didn't love Van, it was Cory she wanted. Van was cool, but he was nothing like Cory. He could never make up for Cory. She wanted Cory and only Cory.

**Cory**

"Perfect. I love it. I love her." He rubbed his hands together. "This is all that I want. I got all that I wanted."

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Ok ok I'll update as soon as I can. Hope you like it. RR! 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5. This is an added Chapter because I needed to make Fiona fall in love with him a little slower. It needs to take more time, if you all know what I mean. Anyways, hope you like it. R+R!

_

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__I'm torn between what I should do and what I shouldn't. Part of me wants to run to Cory, to hold him and let him know I love him, but then part of me wants to run to Van because I know I love him, but yet he's only a close friend. _

Fiona lay in bed, late at night, thinking. She didn't understand her feelings.

_Why am I feeling this way? My heart is…confused. As soon as I saw Cory's face, looked into is eyes, I fell in love with him. Why so fast? I only just met him. Something has to be wrong, but yet, it felt so good; almost, comforting. _

She sat up, rubbing her temples. She had a headache. _Maybe it's from all the thinking I've been doing. _She took a sip from the water bottle sitting on the nightstand by her bedside.

* * *

_I shouldn't have done what I did. Why didn't I just leave her alone? I can get a girl without you…_

Cory lay on the opposite side of the hall from Fiona. He had, also, been thinking all night long. He was mad at himself. He knew he wanted Fiona the first time he saw her, and he was determined to get her; to hold her.

_Why? I'm so stupid. I should have listened to her. I should have done what she told me to do. But I never listen. _

"I do love Fiona. I really do. I just…" He whispered quietly to himself, his voice trailing off.

_Think about it Cory…is what you're doing really right? No…_

_Okay, okay...so I really do love Cory…right? Right. No...I don't know. _

Fiona was so tired, wanting so badly just to drift off to sleep; into the stillness of the darkened hour, but she couldn't. _Why can't I just go to sleep? Eyes…close. Now. Please?_

She lay back in bed, hoping for sleep to close in.

_My heart knows what's right but my mind won't let me believe…_

* * *

_I should stop thinking about this and let it be. I did what I did. I can't change the past; I can only change the future. You idiot. Oh well! _

Cory decided he would get up and take a walk. That was all he could really do.

_Maybe it'll take my mind off of everything…_

* * *

Fiona got up. She was so frustrated with herself. She needed some air, something to keep her mind off Cory.

She climbed out of bed, the bedpost creaking as she stood up. She opened her door only to find Cory opening his own. Great. "Uh…Cory…what are you doing up?"

"I could ask the same." He said, just above a whisper.

"Yeah…well…I can't get to sleep. My thoughts are working overtime, if you know what I mean." She pulled at a strand of her frizzy hair.

He cleared his throat. He knew. "Oh yeah, I know exactly what you mean, mine are working double time." He ran his hands through his hair.

"Yeah…" She looked him in the eyes, for any sign of reassurance, love, exhaustion, anything.

He walked toward her. "Want to take a walk with me? Just to clear our minds…" He looked down into her eyes.

She shook her head to clear her vision that had suddenly blurred, her blonde locks swaying. "Um…yeah. Sure." Cory took her hand in his.

"Let's go."

The two of them walked outside, quietly breathing in the late night air. They stopped walking. Cory turned to Fiona; he stared hard into her eyes. "You need some sleep." He dropped her hand.

"Yeah, I do. I'm tired." She blinked hard, to keep from falling asleep in her place.

"Then why don't you go to bed now?"

Fiona nodded. "That's what I'll do."

_I love you, Cory. I want to spend more time with you. I don't want to go to sleep…not now…_

* * *

"How about I bring you back to your room?" He grabbed her hand again.

"That would be nice."

They walked back inside, without saying anything to each other. Cory guided Fiona to her bed. He sat down next to her, to get her comfortable.

* * *

Van and Irvine walked down the hall corridor. Van had asked Irvine to come with him to wake Fiona.

"You can't handle it yourself?" Irvine had asked.

"Shut up and just come with me."

Irvine trudged behind Van unwillingly. "I still don't see why you couldn't have come back here on your own."

Van sighed. "Irvine, please, just shut up."

Van nudged Fiona's partially open door and stopped. "I…uh…am I interrupting something?"

Fiona and Cory sat on the bedroom floor cross legged, laughing. Fiona looked up, smiling. "No, no. Nothing. We were just talking." She looked exhausted, like she'd been up all night.

"How long have you guys been…talking?" Van asked slowly.

This time Cory spoke up. "Pretty much all night; neither of us could sleep."

Van nodded. "Oh." He wanted kick Cory in the head and tell him to leave. He wanted to tell him to never come back. Irvine stood by Van's side, grinning.

Van turned and left, without another word. He mumbled something he thought only Irvine had heard.

_Why can't he just leave? Why can't he just leave and stay gone forever? What is so wrong about letting me have Fiona?_


	6. Chapter 6

Ok here's chapter 6. Cory was dying to read it so I had to finish it soon. I just had to find time to type it. Well, I hope you like it. R&R!

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All Van wanted to do was get rid of Cory. Maybe even look at his records to find something. But he didn't want to hurt Fiona. He still loved her, of course, but the thing was...she didn't love him.

**Cory's room**

Cory loved being across the hall from Fiona. Partly because of the night before; he knew this would all work out. Even though, he hated the thought.

* * *

If Fiona _had_ to choose between Van and Cory, it wouldn't be easy. She would have to give it a lot of thought. And after a long thought she would most likely choose Cory. She had loved Van, but it had taken years to finally realize how she really felt for him. A few days after she had met Cory she had clicked with him. Fiona would always have something special with Van and she couldn't forget that. But now it was time to face the facts.

**Attack**

The alarms sounded, they were under attack! Van ran to the Blade Liger and called for Zeke. Zeke became a blazing white-blue rocket and he merged with the Liger and they took off. There were three Command Wolves. Irvine was behind Van in a matter of seconds, he knew this battle would be easy. Van went into full speed and took out the first Wolf with his blade, slicing into a perfect half. Irvine took out the second one with his missile. Both Irvine and Van took out the third one; Van cut off the wolf's leg and Irvine jumped onto its back, ripping electrical cords off and disabling the man's control. They were done and it hadn't taken much effort.

Cory was impressed, Van was a good pilot; not easily distracted.

_That was easy, nothing too hard for the two of us._

Irvine jumped out of his Command Wolf and met Van by his Liger. "Good one." He patted him on the back.

"Couldn't have done it without you."

Fiona came up to Van and gave him a hug. "Good job!"

Van pulled away and looked into her eyes, she was being sincere. "Thanks."

She smiled and a hint of glee and happiness shown from behind her red eyes.

She was so supportive and so sweet. Van didn't know what he would do without her. He loved her and he vowed to never change that.

"WEEEEEE?" Zeke nudged Van's elbow with his nose.

"I'm comin', I'm comin'."

**Fiona**

Fiona was truly happy for Van and Irvine, for winning, and she wanted Van to know that.

Cory emerged from the crowd of workers gathered around Van and Irvine, and casually sauntered over toward Fiona.

"Hiya, girl."

She looked him in the eyes and lost all notice of what was going on around her. She cleared her throat and blinked hard, "Um…hi."

"I had a question I needed to ask you, Fiona." He spoke her name as if it were sacred.

"Anything."

"I just wanted to know if you were friends with Van. Do you like him a lot?" He squinted, and tilted his head back slightly.

"Well…uh…um…yes…I mean-" She stumbled over her words. _Why is it so hard for me to tell him that Van is my friend? _"Okay. I'm friends with Van. Good friends, actually. I've known him for quite a while."

"Oh." He rubbed his chin in a thoughtful way, "Would you consider maybe…ummm…going out with me?" Fiona was shocked. He was actually asking her to go out with him! She loved him, isn't this what she wanted? She blinked a few times to regain her composure, "Y-yeah. I'd love to." Cory had taken Fiona to her room to talk and just have some fun. He wanted to know more about her.

He waited to speak until he had Fiona's undivided attention, "I know...this may sound stupid, but I really like you and I want to know a lot more about you."

For a second Fiona couldn't think of anything to say. She was lost for words, but she finally came up with something to say. "I...really like you, too." She decided that was good enough to say.

Cory smiled. This is exactly what he wanted. He was truly starting to fall for this girl. She had everything: the looks, the personality. What more could he ask for? He loved it. Now all he had to do was get Van out of the picture.

Cory walked over to Fiona, taking her in his arms. He stroked her hair and used his thumb to stroke her soft cheek. Suddenly, his lips brushed against hers, enraptured in the warm embrace of each other's arms. He deepened the kiss, leaving them both breathless.

Van walked into the room and Fiona saw him. Van stopped short. He saw them kissing. Van didn't wait for an explanation. He walked away slowly like he hadn't seen anything. He should have interrupted them. He should have said something to break that apart. He loved Fiona. He didn't want her kissing another man; a man she'd only known for a week.

Fiona pushed away. "I-I don't think I'm ready-"He stared in to her eyes.

"Yes you are." He assured her quietly.

"I am."

Van was angry and at the same time sad. It hurt to see something like that. Especially, when he loved her so much. He had decided to tell her he loved her. It was the only thing he could do. If he ever wanted her back he had to let her know before it was too late. He had locked himself in his room. He was acting like a little boy. This was stupid. He had never acted this way before over a girl. He needed to get Cory out of the way...  
Fiona left Cory sitting on her bed. She had things to do. She had promised Van a while ago that she would help him clean up the inside of the Liger. She hoped maybe she could find Van.

Van went looking for Fiona. He checked in her room but no one was there. He decided to check on his Liger to make sure everything was okay. He ran into Thomas on the way there.

"Hello, Van." Thomas said, in a deep tone of voice.

"Hi, have you seen Fiona at all?" Van asked. He'd been looking for a while.

"Oh, my lo- I mean, Fiona?" Thomas stumbled over his words.

Van laughed. "Yes, Fiona."

He thought for a second, "No, I haven't seen her at all. She might be in the garage." He didn't have any idea.

"Thanks."

Van headed for the garage. He hoped she would be there.

Fiona climbed into the cockpit. She was going to do this for Van and she was going to the best she could.

Van spotted a strand of blonde hair. He heard someone moving around. He walked over to the liger and looked up. There was no mistaking Fiona.

"What are you doing?" Van asked.

Fiona jumped. "What? Oh, Van, you scared me. I'm cleaning out the cockpit like I promised you."

"Oh thanks, you didn't have to do that." Van combed his hand through his hair.

"Sure." She hopped down.

Now he was nervous. He had Fiona's attention. She was standing right in front of him and he was about to tell her he loved her.

"I…uh…I wanted to tell you this, before it's too late. I know you really like Cory and I don't know how to say this, but…I'm in love with you Fiona." His face turned bright red.

Fiona didn't know what to say. She knew he loved her, but for him to come and tell her this was so…unbelievable. Her voice froze…

Van left without another word. _Did I make a mistake?_

**Cory**

Why had Fiona left so soon? He was just in the middle of the best kiss EVER! He loved Fiona and he knew she loved him. She was still caught up in Van, Cory knew that, but he could...he _would_ get him out of the way. No matter what.


	7. Chapter 7

Finally…Chapter 7. I know it's taken a while but I was sorta on writer's block. But I have a chapter 6 now so that's all that matters. I hope you like this one. It was hard to come up with it. So, R&R!

Disclaimer: I do not own the song "What do we wish on now?" by True Vibe. I don't own any Zoids characters either.

* * *

Fiona hadn't talked to Van in a week. Ever since the day he told her he loved her, she had been purposely ignoring him. Not because she didn't like him but because she was afraid Cory would think something of it and take it too seriously. Fiona and Cory spent every waking moment together. They went swimming, to theme parks and occasionally to the mall. Every where Fiona went, Cory went and vice-versa.

Van knew for a fact that he had no chance of EVER getting Fiona back. Why hadn't he taken the chance when he had, had it? He was too afraid. It wasn't like him to be afraid, but when it came to girls he was always afraid. He was so angry at Cory for stealing Fiona. It was really Van's fault, though. He was the one without the courage.

**Van's Room**

Van sat on his bed, bored, thoughtful and clueless as to what he should do. He could hear Fiona's laugh and beautiful voice. She was obviously with Cory again…

**Fiona's room**

"Goodnight, my love." Cory whispered sneaking in one last kiss.

"'Night, Cory," Fiona yawned. "I'll see you in the morning."

"For sure." He pulled the blanket up a little farther.

He left the room, turning the lights off as he went. Fiona drifted off to sleep. It had been a long day and sleep was well deserved.

**Dream**

Van walked into the room and leaned over Fiona's bed.

**_So many words, so many lies._**

**_Funny how there's nothing left to say._**

**_We had our share of days in the sun,_**

She sensed a presence in the room and quickly opened her eyes to Van.

**_But we let the clouds get in the way. _**

**_Who knew how high we could climb,_**

_'**Til we got to the top and we saw how far we could fall? **_

Van held out his hand to help Fiona out of her bed.

**_Now that you're gone, it's all I can do_**

**_To keep from losing it all. _**

Van spoke but his words could not be heard. They were too far, too distant.

**_Tell me what do we wish on now,_**

**_Now that our star has fallen from the sky?_**

All Fiona knew was that he wanted her to follow him. He led the way out of the building and far away.

**_Where did we go so wrong in this love,_**

**_And how do I kiss you goodbye?_**

Van had lead her into a field of endless flowers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and they began to dance. Fiona felt as if she could dance forever.

**_Letters and cards, pictures of you_**

**_I never thought they could look so old._**

They danced as pictures and memories passed around them. Heart breaks, fun times, and tearful regrets.

**_Must have been fools 'cause we had it all,_**

**_But it fell apart when our love grew cold._**

**_Standing with you in the rain,_**

**_Only now in the end can we drop our guard and be real._**

They danced through every season, staying firm in each others grasp.

**_Wishing you well, watching you go_**

**_I don't know how I should feel._**

_'**Cause lately my mind keeps telling me to run to you**_

**_I still can't believe that you're gone._**

Van suddenly disappeared and Cory appeared asking for one dance. She agreed, but as she danced she realized that it wasn't the same as when she danced with Van.

**_But baby my mind keeps telling me that we are through,_**

**_And telling my heart to move on._**

Fiona suddenly felt a longing for Van.

**_Tell me what do we wish on now,_**

**_Now that our star has fallen from the sky? _**

**_Where do we go so wrong in this love,_**

**_And how do I kiss you goodbye?_**

Why? She loved Cory…didn't she?

**End Dream**

Fiona sat straight up in bed.

"What kind of dream was that?" She asked herself quietly.

She was still tired, so she tried to go back to sleep, but couldn't. It was yet to be light out, still early morning. Since she couldn't sleep she decided to get some fresh morning air.

As she walked outside she could hear the quick steps of someone or something. She didn't know where they were coming from, either.

Suddenly, out of no where someone tackled her to the ground.

"Hahahahaha! Gotcha!" A cheery voice rang out from behind her.

The voice sounded so familiar. Where had she heard it?

And then she remembered. "Andi! Oh my gosh! I can't believe you're here!"

"I know! Heehee!" Andi jumped up off the ground, to help Fiona up.

The two embraced and went to Fiona's room to catch up on all the things Andi had missed while she was gone.

**Van**

Van woke up to the sound of giggles down the hallway. There was a giggle he didn't recognize.

He walked down the hallway into Fiona's room.

"Uh…hey girls, sorry to interrupt, but you woke me up with all your…giggling." Van noticed a girl he hadn't seen before. He stuck out his hand towards her. "I'm Van and…you are?"

The girl took his hand. "I'm Andi, long time friend of Fiona's." Andi stood up. She had long flowing brownish-red hair down to her waist. She was tall and slender with dark green-brown eyes. She was the energetic kind of girl anyone would want to be friends with. "Nice to meet you, Van."

Andi was…amazed. This man…Van, was spectacular. He had the eyes, the hair and the face. He was gorgeous.

Van desperately wanted someone to love, but he wanted Fiona. Although, he had to admit Andi was beautiful.

"Nice to meet you, too." Van said after a long pause. If Van wasn't mistaken, Andi was blushing. Fiona sat quietly on her bed and didn't say anything.

"Yeah." Andi smiled widely.

"Well, I'm gonna leave you two to you're business. See you." Van left the room to go lay back down in bed.

As soon as Van left, Andi started asking Fiona a bundle of questions about him.

"How old is he?"

"22…soon to be 23." Fiona answered.

"Is he single?"

Fiona rolled her eyes, "Yes."

"Ooooo, cool!" Andi was on a roll. "How long have you known him?"

"Since I was 16 and he was 17," Fiona pulled on a strand of her thick blonde hair, "We were close to a…relationship, but then I met Cory. I haven't talked to Van much lately." She looked down.

"Yay! That leaves Van for me!" Andi jumped up, "I wanna meet Cory so I can see if he's hotter than Van."

Fiona laughed. _Just like old times; Andi and her obsession for guys._

And then Fiona remembered. The look. The look in Van's eyes when he'd seen Andi. She knew he liked her, but there was something inside telling her not to let Van go. She needed him. She had a feeling for him…again and a feeling for Cory. Who was the right man? Who? It was time to look back. To see. To look back and see all that she had been through.

* * *

Well, I know it is still short. My brain doesn't want to let me think of anything else to write. Grrr! I will though. I do have an idea, but it would have been way too long to put in just one chapter. Hope you like it. Plz, R&R! 


	8. Chapter 8

Ok, Chapter 8. I hope you like this. Please R&R!

* * *

Fiona and Andi decided to get some breakfast before they went to talk to Cory and stare, in Andi's case. Andi couldn't stop jumping around. She was so excited. It almost seemed like she took sugar pills to make her that way.

Fiona grabbed some eggs, sausage, and bacon, while, Andi got a grilled cheese and eggs. Andi also, loved to eat. She could eat a horse and not get overweight. Fiona hated that about her.

**Van **

Van woke up a little after he had fallen asleep earlier that morning. He was still tired, but decided to get some breakfast to wake him up a little.

As he walked into the cafeteria he saw Fiona and Andi sitting, and talking together. Andi turned around as Van walked in and called over to him. "Van! You can come sit by us!"

Van waved. "Okay, I'll be right over."

He got his breakfast and headed over to Andi. Just as he was about to sit down, Cory walked in. He met Fiona at the table and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning, Fiona." He whispered in to her ear.

Van eyed him carefully, trying not to be noticed. But Andi noticed. She didn't say anything. She'd keep quiet until she could get Van alone.

"Morning, Cory. How was your night?" Fiona asked.

"Great, yours?"

She hesitated. "It was interesting. I had the weirdest dream." She gave Van a side glance.

"Other then that?"

"It was fine." She didn't mean that. It really wasn't fine. It had been scary, almost.

"Great." Cory went off to get his breakfast.

Andi decided to tell Fiona what she thought of Cory after breakfast. Van _was_ sitting next to her.

Van hated Cory, with a passion. He was a conniver. A liar. A schemer. Anything Van could think of he labeled Cory with.

Fiona had seen the way Van had looked at Cory when he walked in. There was a hate in his eyes, she had never seen before. He really did love her. But why? What was so special about her? She could only guess.

**After**

Afterwards, Cory took Fiona with him to his room. Now, that left only Van and Andi. They didn't know what to talk about. So all there was, was silence.

Finally, Andi broke the silence. "Uh, wanna go for a walk?"

"Um…sure, if that's what you want." Van was being skeptic. He wasn't sure of her motives. He barely knew Andi.

They started off together and decided to walk for a while, so they could give Fiona and Cory some time, even though Van didn't want to.

Andi started the conversation. "I see the way you look at Fiona. I know you love her."

That stopped Van cold. He didn't think his love for Fiona was_ too _obvious. "Well…uh…how did you know?"

"Come on, Van. I'm not a dummy." She laughed. "I know when I see love." She emphasized the word love when she said it.

Van didn't know what to say. He was flattered. "Umm…"

"Listen, I wasn't trying to put you on the spot. But all I have to say is that…you seem like a great guy. I don't think Cory is the right one for Fiona, but I can't change her love for him."

He couldn't believe Andi was saying this. "Yeah, that's what I say." He looked down. "It's not like my kindness and love for her would even make one bit of a difference."

"It does more then you know." Andi lightly put her fingers under his chin and raised it. "She's fighting love, Van. She doesn't know if she wants you or Cory… she doesn't want to let you go. And she doesn't want to let Cory go."

"So you're saying she still might actually love me?" Van brightened.

"Sort of. She does love you but she loves Cory, too."

"Oh…" Van looked into Andi's eyes. "Why do girls have to be so complicated?" He grinned.

Andi smiled. "I don't know. I guess it's just the way things are. Guys can be complicated, too, ya know?"

"I guess that's the beauty of life."

"You're very poetic." She joked.

"Hey, what can I say? Can't a guy be poetic?"

With that they headed back for Cory and Fiona.

**Cory and Fiona **

They had been talking the whole time Van and Andi were gone. Talking about everything. Like always. Fiona made sure she always looked into Cory's eyes. She could tell when someone was being sincere and when someone was lying. But it was hard to tell with Cory. His eyes…seemed neutral. He showed no emotion through them. It was strange. You could write a book by looking into Van's eyes.

Van and Andi walked in, breaking the couples conversation. Andi and Van had decided to have some alone time with Fiona and Cory. Andi with Fiona, Van with Cory.

"Cory, is it okay if I talk with you…alone?" Van asked slowly, hating every word of what he had just said.

"I need to talk with you alone, too, Fiona." Andi took her by the hand.

They split up planning what they would say.

**Cory and Van **

"Why are we talking alone?" Cory asked, flustered. "Why are we suddenly starting to talk?"

Van didn't like what Cory was saying but he held himself back. "Calm down. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Okay, go ahead."

He hesitated at first. He knew Cory wouldn't like what he was about to say. "Alright, listen to me, Cory. I know you're not gonna like what I'm about to say, but this is something I have to say." He stopped. Cory looked confused.

"I'm not sure what you're trying to hint at…"

"Then listen. I don't like the fact that you're with Fiona, but I can't stop her from loving you. Honestly…I don't like you. And I certainly don't know how you got her so fast. I mean, you only knew her for a week and you guys fell in love. It's taken me five years to get her to fall for me, and then you came and pushed her out of my life." Van wasn't done. "I'm not jealous of her, frankly, because you are a piece of dirt to me. I would do anything to get you out of here, but I can't. I can't risk hurting-"

"That's enough! I'm not going to sit here and listen to this!" Cory stood up.

Van pushed him back down into his seat. "Oh, yes you are."

**Fiona and Andi**

"Why do you want me alone?" Fiona was curious.

"I have something important to talk to you about." Andi said.

"Okie dokie." Fiona sat down.

"I'm not sure you're gonna like it, though." She breathed in deep. "All I have to say is that I don't think Cory is the right guy for you. I know this may sound harsh and I'm not trying to burst any love bubbles, but he's different. Something about him just isn't right. Haven't you felt it?" Andi knew Fiona had special powers.

"Actually, Andi, I have. There's something very different about him and I like it. But in a way, I don't. It's kinda scary. I haven't told anyone this but…you know how when you look into someone's eyes…you can tell how they feel…and if they're happy or sad?"

Andi nodded. She knew.

Fiona was glad someone knew what was talking about. "Well, Cory doesn't have that. His eyes…are neutral. It's almost like they're fake…like he has no feelings."

"That's weird. I've never really been able to see into his eyes." She thought for a second before she said anything else. "Maybe Van and I should trade places. You need some alone time with Van. You two haven't talked for…a while."

Fiona wasn't too excited about the thought of having to face Van…what would they say? "I guess so. If you want to talk to Cory…"

"If you don't want to, please, tell me."

"No, no…it's okay. I'll live. It'll only be for a few minutes." She wasn't okay, but she couldn't tell Andi that.

**Cory and Van **

"Who do you think you are? You can't just push me like that and expect me to listen to you." Cory was angry now.

"I'm the best Zoids pilot on the planet Zi. I could beat you down any day." Van smirked. He liked the thought of that. "Besides, I wouldn't want to do that, now would I? I only came in here to have a friendly conversation."

At that moment Andi walked in. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Cory spoke up. "No, not at all." He looked at Van and then turned back to Andi. "What do you need?"

"I was hoping I could talk to you. Van, Fiona is waiting for you."

"For me?" Van wasn't too sure about that.

"Yes, for you, Van. You need to go to talk to her." She winked.

_For me? Fiona is out there waiting for me…How could that be? She wants to talk to me? Oh boy. Okay, Van, don't freak out it's only Fiona. Only Fiona. Only Fiona? What am I saying?_

He met Fiona outside her room. "Let's walk." She said.

Van couldn't look her in the eyes. It was so hard to face her.

"Van, look at me." They stopped walking. "I want to apologize; for everything. I know I haven't really been a good friend lately." She grabbed his hand, and squeezed lightly. "I want you to know that I'm always here for you."

"It's so hard to believe you're actually saying this to me." He looked down.

"Van, let me tell you. I'm not feeling good about myself right now. I can't believe I ever said the things I said to you. I just never thought you would feel the way you do now…" She trailed off.

"It's not like I have any chance whatsoever; now that you've got Cory."

"Didn't Andi tell you? I'm fighting feelings, Van." She stopped to search for the right words. "Cory is different. I have to admit. It's sort of a good-bad different, though."

"I just wish things were back to the way they were when…we could talk about anything and we could be the best of friends."

"We still are the best of friends, Van. I want things back to normal, too. I've made up my mind. Even though, I greatly care about Cory…I need to break up with him. Something is bothering me. I'm not sure what, but it's scaring me. It's almost like every time I'm with him he puts me in some sort of a trance." Fiona came up with an idea. "When I break up with him…I'm not going to look into his eyes. His eyes…are different. They're almost hypnotizing. If I look down when I do it, everything might work out."

Van was beaming inside. Fiona was going to break up with Cory!

**Inside Cory's Head **

_I've got a feeling Fiona doesn't want to be with me anymore. She's acting different; very different. I need to make her feelings for me grow stronger. I'll make her look into my eyes. Definitely_.

_I don't like Van at all. He's a jerk. Who the heck is he, to go and tell me what to do? I don't care if he's the best Zoids pilot on the planet Zi. He could never beat me. Never. _

_I love Fiona. I can't let Van have her. No. He's not the right guy for her. _

"Hey Cory…"

"Whoa you scared me." _Fiona isn't looking me in the eyes. She usually always does. She has to look me in the eyes. _

"Umm…Cory…this is hard to say and I know it's kind of sudden but…I don't think I can be with you anymore. I'm sorry."

_I go to grab her chin but she pushes my hand away._ "Cory you need to leave this place. I know there's something about you that you're not telling me."

_Has she found out? No she doesn't really know, she's only guessing. How could she say this to me? She's leaving me and telling me to leave here_. "Fiona…how could you do this to me? I thought we had a connection…" _She still isn't looking me in the eyes! This was Van's doing. He did this. He changed her mind about me. _

"I'm sorry Cory." _She turned at that and left, leaving me standing in awe and shock. How? How could this happen? _

* * *

Ok well, I know this is a really weird chapter. I sorta just came up with an idea. I like this chapter. And usually I don't like any of them. Hope you like it and please R&R! 


	9. Chapter 9

Finally, Chapter 9. I'm trying to finish up the story. I know there are some people who want to know what's going to happen. Hope you like this chapter. R+R

* * *

Van was elated. Was Fiona doing this all for him?

Van had thought a lot about what Fiona said about Cory. It wasn't _normal._ _He_ wasn't normal. They needed him gone; gone for good. Fiona told him to leave, but Van knew Cory wasn't going to leave because he wanted Fiona to come back to him. This was now a battle. A man on man battle, all for one girl.

It hurt Fiona to tell Cory what she had told him, but she couldn't be with him anymore. It was mostly Van and Andi that had changed her mind about him. _What did the two of them talk about while they were gone? _She hated the thought and kept it to herself. She was just thankful she had finally figured something was wrong with Cory.

Van was instructed to wait in Fiona's room while she went to…break up with Cory.

When she walked back in to the room, Van stood up.

"How did it go?"

Fiona shrugged, but she was obviously hurt, "I didn't look into his eyes."

"I'm really sorry about all this." Van meant it. He hated to see her hurting, but he was happy she wasn't with Cory. It left her for him.

She laughed, almost like what he had said was a joke. She knew he didn't really mean it. "No you're not, Van." Her head dropped and she stared at the ground, "I'm the one who should be sorry. I treated you like dirt…"

Van didn't know what to say. It was true. She _had_ treated him like dirt. She'd avoided him when he told her he loved her, and she'd ditched him for Cory.

"Listen, Fiona, that's over. It's in the past. You don't have to worry about what you did and what I did, worry about what we have to do now." Van grabbed a strand of her hair and pushed it behind her ear. She was a mess.

"How can I just forget? How can I forget how horribly I treated my _best friend_? Van…I love you." She put her hands over face, dropped to her knees and cried. She let it all go. Everything.

Van didn't know what to say, what to do. So, he dropped to his knees, wrapped his arm around Fiona and let her cry.

**Cory**

_I'm all alone all over again. After all the time I was lost in darkness and alone in a world no one could understand. _

Cory was wrecked. He couldn't cry. He was numb. He wasn't ready for what Fiona had told him. He would never be ready, never again. How could he go on?

**Flashback**

Cory drove his car over the rough terrain of the dessert, with his beautiful brunette wife next to him.

"Be careful, honey. Anything can happen out here." His wife, Grace, grabbed his muscular arm and held tightly. She hated cars.

"Ah…don't worry, babe. I'm a good driver. Has anything ever happened while I've been driving?" He eyed her lovingly.

"Well…no. But you know how much I hate driving." She looked around nervously.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll be careful, I promise." He reassured her.

A layer of smoke lay still in the air. Cory didn't know where it could have come from. He ignored it.

* * *

The Genobreaker burst through the cloud of smoke, steering the car off the road. Cory was able to slam on the breaks before he flipped or crashed.

"What was that?" Grace was now frantically grabbing at the door handle.

"Grace, no!" He grabbed her arm before she could get out. "Don't get out. It'll kill you."

Her eyes widened in fear. "I don't want to die!"

"If you stay in the car, you won't." She relaxed back in to her seat.

The Genobreaker stood right in front of their car, mouth open. The bright blue ball in the middle of its mouth signified the Particle Beam. It leaned back and fired, engulfing their car in the blue line of fire.

With that, it was gone.

**End Flashback**

Cory broke down in tears. Remembering caused him to cry. He didn't want to remember. Not now, but he couldn't help himself. It seemed as if it had happened just yesterday, and he was back where he was seven years ago.

Andi spotted Cory in his room, crying.

"Cory? Are you okay?" She ran toward him.

He quickly wiped away his tears. His eyes remained a tear stained red. "I'll never be okay. Never."

"Aww…Cory. I'm sorry. What happened?" She sat down next to him, in an attempt to comfort him.

He broke down and told her everything, right from the beginning when hell first broke loose.

**Flashback**

Their car had been completely torched. Cory lay on the ground, helpless. The face of Grace flashed through his mind. "Grace!" He tried to sit up.

A man in a white suit ran toward him, knelt down beside him, and checked his pulse to make sure his heart was beating normally. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Never mind me, where is Grace?" He tried to sit up again.

"Grace? Is that your wife?" The man's eyebrows raised and he frowned.

"Yes, she's my wife." He looked in to the doctor's eyes. "Where is she?" He struggled to speak.

"She…she…didn't make it. I'm sorry, sir." The doctor held his shoulder, tightly.

Cory was visibly torn. "No…no…Grace…" His heart felt like it would stop any minute. It was skipping beats, betraying him. He fell to the ground, passing out and wouldn't wake up for the next seven years.

Hospital- 4 years later

Cory's sister stayed with him while he was caught up in the coma, he wouldn't come out of.

"Come on Cory, come back. It's Cameron. Remember?" She stared down through the window, longingly. She wanted her brother back, the brother who had always stuck by her side; her older brother, Cory.

He lay still, no reaction, no movement. Cameron had been coming to visit him for four years. Every week she would sit by him and talk to him. She believed he could hear her.

She had no idea she would have to be coming back for the next three years.

**End Flashback**

"I was stuck in a coma for seven years…" He heard Andi gasp.

"Oh my God," Andi wanted to hug him, to hold him, to let him know he could lean on her when he needed someone to lean on. "Cory…I'm so sorry. I had no idea anything like that happened to you. If you need someone to talk to, you know I'm always here for you."

"Thank you so much." She leaned over and gave him a hug. He took it in. He was glad for the embrace. He needed it now, more than ever.

**Van and Fiona**

Fiona sat back on her legs. Van sat next to her, hugging her close to his warm side. Her mascara had run all down her face, leaving black tear stains on her cheeks. Her eyes were red; her hands were soaked with tears.

"Are you gonna be okay now?" Van wouldn't let her go. He was afraid she would break down again.

"I think so." She wiped her eyes. "Always know, Van…I'm sorry."

"I know and I forgive you for everything." He took her face in his hands. "I love you more than you'll ever know." Their lips brushed, they held the kiss. This is what Van had always wanted; what he was hoping for all along.

Fiona loved the feeling of this kiss, this moment; his soft lips on hers. The kiss she now held was what she had longed for; prayed for.

Van had made the move, Fiona had accepted it. This was what was meant to be.

**Andi and Cory**

"How long were you married to Grace?" Andi hated to bring back the memories, but she wanted to know.

"Almost four years." Cory pulled at his hair, self-consciously.

**Flashback**

Cameron sat at the bedside three years later. She had faithfully come to visit Cory every single day. She talked to him about everything on her mind, about her new boyfriend, and what they had done for their first date. She knew he could hear her, he was listening intently.

Cory gasped and shot up in bed. His eyes had a neutral look. "Where am I?" He asked in a whispering, raspy voice. He put his hand to his heart. "I'm alive…"

"Cory!" She jumped up and hugged him. She hugged him tightly. How could he just come alive after seven years of unconsciousness? "Cory…yes…you are alive."

His breathing was labored, "Where's Grace? Where am I? Why are you here? Cameron…" He held her, like he'd never been able to hold someone before in his life.

"Cory…Grace is gone. She died seven years ago, when the Particle Beam destroyed your car. You survived, you lived. You've been in a coma for seven years, Cory. Seven years."

Everything came back to him. He remembered how the car had been engulfed in the glowing blue line of fire. "She's gone. I'm here. Why couldn't I have died?" He slammed his fist on to the hospital bed.

"Cory stop it. You're alive and that's all that matters right now. You aren't going to be able to walk for a while. You've been unconscious for too long." She rubbed his bare back.

"I…"

She put her finger to his mouth to quiet him. "Rest."

4 months later

"I need a job, Cameron. I can't sit around and hope a job will come to me. I need to go out and find one. You know jobs don't walk, right?" Cory had just recently recovered.

"You can't get a job, not with those, you know…" She was hesitant to let him go.

"Who's the older one here? I need to, Cameron. Those don't matter. I won't use them. I don't need to. I'm not ready for any type of relationship now anyways." When Cory had been hit by the Particle Beam, he gained a power. The power to make anyone do what he wanted them to do. He could even make a girl fall in love with him if he wanted to.

Cameron sighed heavily. "Fine, go find a job."

* * *

Cory left to find a job. He found a job working with one of the best Zoids pilots on the planet Zi, Van Flyheight. He figured he could do well with that job.

And then he met Fiona.

**End Flashback**

Cory was now in a position he never wanted to be in. He should have listened to Cameron. Only now, Andi knew everything. She knew he gained powers, and she knew he could use them as he pleased. He would never use them on Andi. He could get another girl, another wife, _without _using his powers. He had gotten Grace.

Andi felt horrible for Cory. She couldn't help it. She needed to let Van and Fiona know about this. This was worth keeping Cory and giving him another chance.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Hope you like it. Please, R+R! 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 is up, peeps. Hope you enjoy. I'm working on finishing this baby. Read and Review, please!

Thanks to Acidbuk for helping me get this story together. It was a great help.

* * *

"Cory, we won't kick you out. I couldn't do that to you. Not now." Andi embraced Cory again. He needed the comfort; any sign of love he could get. 

"I don't want to leave, Andi. I didn't mean to put anyone in danger or hurt anyone, I only wanted someone to love." He wiped away his final tears. "I swear, I hate crying, but I can't help it. Every time I think of Grace, I think about how bad I want to hold her in my arms one last time and let her know I love her. I would have died for her…" He was only bringing back the pain, but he needed someone to help him get through this; someone to talk to.

"If she hadn't died, you would have never met Fiona, Van, or…me." Andi stared into Cory's eyes and at that moment she knew he meant every word he was saying; he didn't have to use his powers. She could see the pain in his eyes, the hurt, the love, the only thing he had left to hold on to. "I will tell the others, only if it's okay with you; if you really want to stay." Andi had been through enough in her life to know how Cory felt.

"Yes, tell them. I'd do anything to stay here. Here is where I have a life, a place to belong." He kissed Andi's hand. "Thank you, Andi. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Cory." She left to find Van and Fiona, maybe even Moonbay. She knew Moonbay hated Cory, for some reason or another.

* * *

Andi walked through the halls for any sign of Van, Fiona or…Moonbay. She knew the last time she left Van and Fiona alone they weren't even talking. They had both been skeptical; neither knew what to say to the other. 

Andi looked down the hall to Van's room where she had last left them, and sure enough there were the two of them; Fiona leaning on one side of the hall wall and Van on the other. Fiona had blackened tear stains down her cheeks, but she was laughing. Van was smiling, warmly. They were so cute together.

She approached the two of them slowly.

"Hey, guys." She managed a weak smile. "I…uh…need to talk to both of you about Cory. I can see this isn't the best time, but I have to tell you now."

Fiona stood, silently. Her smile vanished. "What is it?" She wiped her face.

"He isn't who you think he is. He's not who he made himself out to be."

Now Van was standing. "You mean he's not Cory?"

"No, that's not what I mean. He is Cory. He's just different on the inside. There's more to him than he lets on."

Fiona looked down. "I never really got a chance to truly know who he was on the inside…"

"Fiona…you still have a chance. Let me tell you his story. You'll understand more about him." Andi motioned for both Van and Fiona to sit down. "It'll take a while."

She told his story just as Cory himself had told it.

* * *

Cory expected Van to come storming in any minute, screaming in his face to get out and leave forever. He wanted to stay. He _needed _to stay. 

Whenever he was alone, he thought of the past. He couldn't help it. But every time he did, he only depressed himself. Some nights he would cry himself to sleep. He felt like such a wimp. No _real man_ would cry; only babies cried. In Cory's case it couldn't be true. He had the right to cry. He had been stuck in a coma for seven years! He lost seven years of his once perfect life…

Grace. Grace was Cory's gorgeous brunette wife. He would give anything to see her face, to touch her, to hold her. He used to tell himself that if he ever lost Grace he wouldn't be able to move on with life. That had never come true, because here he was moving on with life. He never even got the chance to say goodbye…to tell her he loved her for the last time. His mind was in the present, but his heart was still stuck in the past.

Tears stung his eyes. _No, man, don't cry. You've cried enough for now. You choked on almost every word when you told Andi what happened… _

_I'm not moving on with life. What was I thinking when I told myself _that _Every day I think of the past. And when I think of the past, I'm not moving forward._

_I need to wake up from this nightmare._

* * *

Van and Fiona were speechless. They had never expected what they heard. 

Fiona blinked. "What if he was lying?"

"He wasn't. This time, I saw. I saw in his eyes sincerity. I knew he was being truthful His eyes didn't look neutral like you said they had always been." Andi breathed in deep and sighed. "I'm sorry Fiona. I never expected him to tell me what he told me either. I especially didn't expect to hear him say he had _powers_ that he used on _you_."

"But how could he do something like that to me? What did I do to deserve it?" Fiona couldn't help but be angry; just the thought of someone forcing her to love them. Nothing like that had ever happened to her before.

"Listen, Fiona, you have to understand he was hurting, longing for someone to love so badly. When he met you, he knew you would never love him the way he loved you, so he used his powers to get what he wanted." Andi did her best to console Fiona.

"I still don't understand. I thought I loved him; I thought I had _real_ feelings for him." She obviously wasn't giving up that easily.

"You probably did have some real feelings for him. Don't get mad at him, Fiona, he only wanted someone to love."

"I guess you're right…" Fiona was hurt but at the same time she felt sympathy for him. "I should probably say I'm sorry. He deserves it…"

Van spoke for the first time. "I'll apologize, too. I treated him the worst. I thought that he only came for revenge because…I'm so well known as a Zoids pilot.

Irvine decided to join their conversation. "Guy problems?"

Fiona rolled her eyes and stared at Irvine. "Yes, I guess you could call it that."

"I 'overheard' you saying you were gonna talk to him." Irvine grinned and ran his hand through his hair. "Good idea. He's a wreck; completely destroyed, in there."

"Awww…poor him. Now that really makes me want to talk to him."

"Yeah, he's…like, crying." Irvine's eyebrow rose.

Fiona started for Cory's room. Van hesitated. "Come on, Van. Are you coming?"

"Yeah." He followed Fiona as they wound through hallways.

* * *

Fiona stopped at Cory's partially opened door. "You go in first." She stepped out of the way.

Van held up his hands defensively. "Hey, he's not my ex. You go in first."

Fiona sighed, rolled her eyes, and gave Van the evil eye. "Fine." She slowly pushed the door open, hoping not disturb anything. "Cory?"

Cory looked up and quickly turned away. He was wiping away new forming tears. "Come in…" He answered shakily.

"Why did you do it, Cory?" Fiona's question caught him off guard.

"Fiona…I'm sorry…I…" Cory didn't know what to say, but Fiona wasn't taking "I'm sorry" as an answer. "I know it seems like I used you…but that wasn't my goal. I just wanted to _be with you_. You're the first girl, who has taken me in since my…wife."

"I understand. I just wanted to hear you say it." Fiona sat down on his bed. "I wanted to tell you that I wasn't too nice. I know I was horrible. I wish you would have talked to me about…everything. It would have helped. Forcing someone to love you never lasts. You have to earn love. Love is the most precious emotion." Fiona stopped to gather her thoughts. "I'm sorry, for everything. I mean it. I know it has to be tough to walk in pain every day of your life."

"I forgive you." Cory turned away again. He was still hiding his tears.

Now it was Van's turn to speak up. "Uh…Cory, I should be apologizing, too." He scratched his head. "I was a jerk, I know. So…I'm sorry. I don't have anything mushy to say. Hope you don't mind…"

Cory managed a smile. "You're forgiven, too. But I owe you an apology, as well. I'm sorry, Van.

Van shook Cory's hand and pulled him into a hug, patting his back. Fiona hugged Cory tightly and whispered something into his ear that no one else could hear. Cory smiled and nodded.

Fiona no doubt loved Van. She was _in love_ with him. She couldn't keep her eyes off of him. She couldn't keep her mind off of him; the kiss, his touch.

* * *

Moonbay went looking for Van and Fiona. She could have sworn she heard them somewhere in the halls. She passed by Fiona's room and stopped at Cory's door, across the hall.

"We'll come back a little later, Cory." Moonbay heard Van's voice from behind the door. Why was he talking to Cory?

Van and Fiona walked out of Cory's room, hand in hand. Andi remained in the room with him. Moonbay's jaw dropped. _What the hell is going on here? _

Van noticed Moonbay standing in front of him with her mouth wide open. "Close your mouth, Moonbay."

"Moonbay!" Fiona took her hand and pulled her off to her room. "You have to hear this!"

Fiona sat Moonbay down on her bed. She clapped her hands together. "We fixed everything with Cory."

"Wow…I've been missing out on a lot, it seems." Moonbay sighed and rested her head in her hand.

"No kidding!"

"So what else did I miss?"

Fiona's eyes widened. "Cory was stuck in a coma for _seven_ years!"

Moonbay blinked hard. "He _what_?"

She repeated herself. "He was stuck in a coma for seven years, Moonbay."

Moonbay's hand dropped away from her head. _I'm missing out on more than I thought I was. _She shook her head. She needed to let it sink in. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope."

"I had no idea anything like that ever happened to him." She flopped back on to the bed. "And I thought I'd been through a lot."

* * *

Andi settled on to Cory's bed. She studied his wounded expression. She could tell he was feeling better, but their earlier conversation had brought back some pain.

Cory sighed heavily and leaned back against the wall. "You don't have to stay in here if you don't want to."

"I want to. That is…if you want me to." Her eyes bore in to his.

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, I want you to stay." He smiled, his eyes betraying the heartache that overtook him each and every day. He settled down next to her on his bed. "Thanks, Andi." He stared up at her with his puppy dog, brown eyes.

"For what?" She cocked her head off to the side.

"For being my friend."

* * *

Moonbay made her way to her Gustav; grocery time. She groaned. Grocery after grocery after grocery. Groceries _suck_. _Why can't someone else do my job? Yeah, sure, Moonbay, keep dreaming. Gag! _

Irvine quietly snuck up behind the complaining brunette. He tickled her sides; Moonbay let out a whoop.

"Irvine!" She slapped his arm and then laughed. "You're such an idiot."

"Don't be rude." He grinned and folded his arms. "Where you goin'?"

"Where do you think?" She hopped in to the Gustav. "Wanna come?"

Irvine shrugged and hopped in after her. "Sure, I've got nothing better to do."

* * *

Fiona and Van gazed up at the night sky, counting stars, pointing out constellations. They were perfect together. After only just a kiss they were inseparable. Van didn't want to let go of what he had; Fiona. He had lost her once and he wouldn't let her go again.

"I knew I loved you all along." Fiona broke the silence in the air.

Van turned his head and spoke quietly. "I've loved you from the first time I met you. I just didn't realize it till later on." He chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "But hey, at least I realized it."

"Yep, yep, I'm glad you did."

Van poked her in the stomach. "Ew…fat…" He laughed.

"Hey!" She punched him in the arm. "I am NOT fat!"

Van caught Fiona in his arms and swung her around in circles, the wind captured her hair and pulled it away from her face; her eyes sparkled with delight. This was the happiest he'd seen her since…he couldn't remember when.

Fiona threw her head back and stared straight in to the dark night sky, watching the stars twinkle their light. She smiled softly, wondering what her future with this man would bring; only knowing it would be bright.


End file.
